Lathe for operating tools by flexible shafts



' (No Modeli) A, W. BROWNE & G. L. HARRISON. LATHE FOR OPERATING TOOLS BY FLEXIBLE SHAPTS.

No. 56Z,5O8. Paten ted June 23, 1896.

INVENTORJ WITNE SES:

ANMEW IGRAIMMJHOTO LITHQWASHINGTOND C UNITE STATES PATENT FFICE.

ARTHUR WV. BROWVNE AND GEORGE L. HARRISON, OF PRINCES BAY, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNORS TO THE S. S. WHITE DENTAL MANUFACTURING COM- PANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LATHE FOR OPERATING TOOLS BY FLEXIBLE SHAFTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,508, dated June 23, 1896. Application filed March 20,1896. Serial No. 584,138. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: so that this section may have slight sliding Be it known that we, ARTHUR W. BROWNE movement, as usual, and the tubular journal and GEORGE L. HARRISON, citizens of the and its pulley are also allowed the slight slid- United States, residing at Princes Bay, in the ing movement customary in the operation of county of Riohmondand State of New York, flexible-shaft apparatus. The flexible sheath 5 5 have invented certain new and useful Im- I for the shaft is detachably coupled at its provements in Lathes for Operating Tools by inner end to one of the bearing-sleeves D of Flexible Shafts; andwe do hereby declare the the carrier by means of a coupling-sleeve J. following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip- The outer end of this coupling-sleeve has de- IO tion of theinvention,such as will enable others tachable connection with the inner coupling skilled in the art to which it appertains to end or metallic ferruleK, fixed to the sheath, make and use the same. and the enlarged inner end of the coupling- Our invention relates to certain improvesleeve has screw-threaded connection with ments, as hereinafter claimed, applicable to the carrier-bearing, as plainly shown. The

15 lathes suitable for use by die-sinkers, jewelouter coupling end or'metallic ferrule K of 6 5- ers, and others for conveniently. operating the flexible sheath is detachably connected tools by flexible shafts. with a suitable handpieoe or tool-carrier L,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is in which any appropriate tool, such as L, is a view in perspective showing our improveadapted to be secured so as to be rotated freely 2o ments as suitably embodied in a lathe; and by the flexible shaft, as is well understood. Fig. 2, a view, partly in vertical central sec- In order to hold the handpiece and flexible tion and partly in elevation, on a scale larger shaft out of the way when the tool is not in than Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa view showing a modiuse, and at the same time guard against rofication. tary movement being imparted to the driven 2 5 A tubular support having a flanged base A pulley E by way of its driving belt or cord M, 7 5 and upright portion B is adapted to be ata movable'supportN has connection with the tached by screws to a suitable table, frame, carrier D and is provided with a rest or holder &c., and a standard 0 is fitted to slide up and O at its lower end for the handpiece, by the downinthetubularsupportandmaybefirmly weight of which the support is moved into 0 clamped in its position of vertical adjustment position to cause its upper end to engage and So by a screw or, working in the support upright dog the pulley against rotation. and engaging a groove 1), extending longi- As' shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the connection tudinally of the standard. A forked pulleybetween the support N and the carrier is such head or carrier D for the pulley E and the that the movement imparted to the support 3 5 flexible shaft F, which isactuated thereby, is is a rocking one about the pivot n, securing mounted by its bearing-sleeve cl so as to be it to the carrier bearing-sleeve d. The supcapable of turning freely horizontally about port terminates at its upper end in a lug p the reduced upper end or journal 0 of the at the junction of the arms P P, which are standard 0. Anut cl serves to hold the forked curved and project upwardly from the pivot 0 carrier D in place upon the standard-journal. at opposite sides of the carrier. The lug p Separate bearings D D at the upper ends of serves to engage a suitable stop on the pulthe forks of the carrier serve for the horizonley, such as the set-screw g, or its equivalent, tal tubular journal Gto rotate in. v This tubusuch as the stop-pin 9''. (Shown in dotted lar journal has the driven pulley E detaohlines in Fig. 1.)

45 ably secured to it between the bearings of the The cord or belt actuating the driven pulley 5 forked carrier by means of aset-screwg, passhas motion imparted to it from a drivinging through the pulley-hub and engaging the pulley adapted to be thrown into and out of journal. The stiff section or coupling end H action in any suitable well-known way. of the flexible shaft F has a longitudinal From the above description it will. be seen 50 groove 71, which is engaged by the set-screw, that the carrier maybe freely turned about its standard; be adjusted to any desired height by means of the standard; the tension of the driving-cord be regulated; and that by the provision of separated bearings in the forked carrier the hub of the driven pulley is made to serve to limit the sliding movement of the tubular journal in either direction by contact with one or other of the bearings, while strain exerted upon the pulley by the cord comes between the bearings, which would not be the case were a single long bearin g employed with the pulley mounted at one end of the tubular shaft.

It will further be seen that when the handpiece is placed in its rest 0 of the support N, it and its shaft are held out of the way, and the weight of the handpiece causes a movement of the support such as to throw its lug or dogging end into engagement with the stop on the pulley, thus insuring that the motion of the pulley be arrested should its drivingcord still be actuated, as the cord willbe compelled to slip on the pulley.

It will also be seen that when the handpiece is supported by its rest accidental starting of the pulley by its cord is prevented. In this way serious injury to the apparatus and to persons in its vicinity by the thrashing about of the handpiece and shaft may effectually be prevented. As soon as the handpiece is lifted from its rest the pulley is freed from the dogging end of the support, which by gravity is caused to rock away from the stop on the pulley.

In accordance with the modification shown by Fig. 3 a vertical sliding movement instead of a rocking movement is imparted to the support for the handpiece, the dog or stop at the upper end of the support being formed by a lug q and the support being adapted to slide in a bearing Q. A spring R acts upon the support to normally hold it in its elevated position, so as not to dog the pulley. The weight of the handpiece when in its rest 0 compresses the spring and causes the dog q to engage the stop 9 on the pulley and hold it against rotation.

W'e claim as our invention- The combination of the carrier, the tubular journal mounted to rotate therein, the flexible shaft provided with the stiff section having connection with the tubular journal, the handpiece carrying the tool actuated by the flexible shaft, the driven pulley on the tubular journal, and the movable support for the handpiece and flexible shaft supported by connection with the carrier and provided with the rest or holder for the handpiece and adapted to be actuated by the weight of the handpiece when placed in its rest or holder to dog the driven pulley, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two' witnesses.

ARTHUR W. BROWNE. GEORGE L. HARRISON. lVitnesses SEYMOUR CASE, M. A. COLE. 

